SMU Homecoming 2012 celebrates centennial milestones, memories

DALLAS (SMU) — SMU celebrates Homecoming Oct. 25-28 with milestones and memories from its hundred-year history. Leading up to the Mustangs’ football game against the Memphis Tigers, the SMU Homecoming Parade begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, and will celebrate the role that SMU has played in the Dallas community since its founding in 1911.

The parade will feature Blake Mycoskie, SMU alumnus and TOMS Shoes “chief shoe giver,” as grand marshal. SMU alumnus Dan Bell will serve as parade emcee.

This year, the expanded Homecoming parade will begin at University Boulevard and Hillcrest Avenue. The colorful procession will wind its way along Hillcrest Avenue and through the SMU campus with student floats, bands and entertainment in celebration of SMU’s Homecoming Weekend. Bright red and blue Centennial Bicycles will make their debut in the parade.

“As we celebrate SMU’s centennial, we are especially pleased to welcome back our alumni and show them the progress they have helped to make possible with their support,” said SMU President R. Gerald Turner. “We also are proud to recognize a great entrepreneur and philanthropist as our Homecoming grand  marshal. Through his TOMS Shoes’ One For One Movement, Blake Mycoskie is an example of how our alumni contribute to the world.”

Mycoskie got his start as an entrepreneur while an undergraduate in SMU’s Cox School of Business, launching a campus laundry service. He founded TOMS Shoes in 2006, combining business savvy with a humanitarian spirit. The idea grew from a trip to Argentina during which he saw impoverished children without shoes. He returned to California inspired to manufacture shoes based on a traditional Argentinean design and committed to give a pair of new shoes to a needy child for every pair sold. To date TOMS has given more than one million pairs of new shoes to children in 28 countries.

SMU Homecoming is full of activities for all ages. Here’s the full list:

Pigskin Revue

SMU’s oldest tradition, the 78th edition of Pigskin Revue, begins at 8:15 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26, in McFarlin Auditorium. Pigskin Revue features SMU students in music, dance and comedy acts, and the Mustang Band will play new music as well as old favorites from past Revues. The show is followed by a reception on the mezzanine level of McFarlin Auditorium sponsored by the Diamond M Club. Admission to the show is complimentary; tickets for the reception are $25 and are available at the door.

“Red, Blue and You” Former Student Leader Brunch On The Boulevard

The Division of Student Affairs, The Union (formerly known as Class Councils) and Vice President for Student Affairs Lori White invite all former student leaders to attend the free “Red, Blue and You” Brunch from 10:30 a.m.-2:15 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, at the flagpole.

Homecoming Parade

The SMU Homecoming Parade begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 27 and features parade marshal Blake Mycoskie, emcee Dan Bell, the Mustang Band and floats built by SMU students. The parade begins at the intersection of Hillcrest Avenue and University Boulevard, heads south on Hillcrest, and then enters the SMU campus on Bishop Boulevard. The route will travel north on Bishop Boulevard and follow the loop.

Tailgating on the Boulevard

Immediately following the parade, tailgating on Bishop Boulevard kicks off with barbecue, hamburgers and hotdogs. The “Red Zone” tent, with food and drinks for SMU alumni, family and friends, will be located at the corner of Binkley and Bishop Boulevard and hosted by SMU Alumni Relations. Adult admission is $10 per person in advance, children six and under are free. Adult tickets for the Red Zone increase to $15 if purchased at the tent on game day, and to $10 for children 7-12. Various schools and university organizations will also host tailgating events.

Family Fun On The Boulevard

The community is invited to join the festivities with Family Fun On The Boulevard from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27. Family Fun will feature Peruna’s Playground in front of the Health Center on Bishop Boulevard. Peruna’s Playground will have bounce houses, face painting and more. Admission is free to the public.

Homecoming Football Game

The Mustangs take on the Memphis Tigers at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27, in Ford Stadium. The crowning of the Homecoming king and queen takes place at halftime. Visit smumustangs.com for tickets. Find up-to-the-minute game information at Gameday Central, smumustangs.com/gameday.

Reunion Gatherings

Reunion gatherings are planned for the classes of ’67, ’72,  ’77, ’82, ’87, ’92, ’97, ’02 and ’07. The Reunion Weekend kickoff celebration will be held at 5 p.m., Friday, Oct. 26, at the Centennial Hall inside Hughes-Trigg Student Center. Visit smu.edu/alumni/reunion or call 800-766-4371 for more information.

Commemorative Centennial Book

SMU has published its first book of campus images in 25 years as part of the Second Century Celebration. The 160-page book, SMU: Unbridled Vision, features more than 200 new color photographs, combined with selected historic images, showing the beauty and vitality of the campus experience. SMU’s Second Century Celebration extends from 2011, the 100th anniversary of the University’s founding, to 2015, the centennial of its opening. The book is available at the SMU Bookstore or at The Book Foundry.

SMU Campus at 100 Book

SMU will debut the book SMU Campus at 100: A Century of Shared Commitment during this year’s homecoming festivities. This commemorative book celebrates the brick and mortar development of the University campus as SMU marks the centennial of the original 1912 campus master plan. The book is available at the SMU Bookstore; call 214-768-2435 for details.

Commemorative SMU Bicycle

Villy Custom Designs has created a limited edition SMU Centennial Bicycle created for the Second Century Celebration. The company’s fully customizable cruiser bikes were recently featured on the television show “Shark Tank.” Visit villycustoms.com to see the SMU bike collection and to customize your own.

For more information on SMU Homecoming, call 214-768-2586 or visit smu.edu/alumni/homecoming. Find a map of Homecoming activities online.

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SMU is a nationally ranked private university in Dallas founded 100 years ago. Today, SMU enrolls nearly 11,000 students who benefit from the academic opportunities and international reach of seven degree-granting schools.

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